Tonsil guillotine



Dec.. 28 1926.

C. R. STORZ TONSIL GUILLOTINE Fi1ed Feb. 12. 1926 l INVENTOR:

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Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

UITED STATES CI-IARLES R. STORZ, OF INDANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TONSIL GUILLOTINE.

Application filed February 12, 1926. Serial No. 57,932.

This invention relates to instruments de' signed for use in the 'practice of Surgery and has reference more particularly to aninstrument that is designed especially for performing bloodless surgical operations, especially in the removal of tonsils.

An object of the invention is to' provide an improved instrument of the type that is commonly known in surgery as a guillotine, a particular Object being to improve the tonsil guillotine to insure perfect contact of the two necessary elements of the .instru .ment in order to effect complete severance of a tonsil from the contiguous anatomical parts.

A Well-known tonsil guillotine has a blad: operating against .a rigid seat, but the oporations of the instrument have been .fault V because of the dificulty and practically pro hibitive cost entailed in making the edge of the blade conform eXactly to the face ol the seat or element opposed to the blade. A particular object is to provide a flexible seat element in such an instrument to insure intimate contact of all portions of the edge of the blade against the seat Without requiring extreme precision in manufacturing the several parts.

With the above-mentioned and other bjects in view, the invention consists in a tonsil guillotine provided With a flexible seat member to Oppose the edge of the blade of the instrument, and a novel arrangement of the seat member; and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the draWings,- Figure 1 is v a side elevation of the instrument having the improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a top plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal central section on an enlarged Scale showing the co-operative elements in Volved in the invention; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section and top plan, on an enlarged Scale, showing the improved part and its relation to Well-known parts of the instrument.

In the different figures of the drawings similar reference Characters indicate corresponding elements or features of construc tion herein referred to in detail.

The instrument generally may be variously constructed as to details, a common form of structure comprising a handle 1 and a frame member 2 rigidly connected to one end of the handle and having a relatively narrow rear portion 3 'Which has a guide post irigidly fixed thereon that rigidly Supports a guide plate 5 having a longitudinal slot 6 therein. The forward end portion of the frame member 2 has a relatively broad guide plate 7 integral thereWth, the plate having parallel side guides 8 and 9 on its edge, a curved loop 10 being made integral With the guides and extending opposite to the end of the plate 7. The inner portion of the loop and the guides have a guide chan nel 11 therein. A slide-bar 12 is movably arranged upon the frame member 2 and has a blade 13 on its forward end that is guided on the plate 7 and in the guides 8 and 9, the blade having a curved slightly blunt hard edge 14 conforming in curvature approximately to that of the loop 10. l-Iitherto the edge 1 1 has been brought into contact with the loop 10, the loop having no channel therein. The slide-bar 12 has a longitudinal groove 15 through Which the guide post el extends and is guided under the plate 5 and i also under an elastic guide 16 constructed as a button having a shank 17 detachably connected to the frame member 2. A lever 18 is arranged to be guided under the plate 5 and has a stop pin 19 thereon to operate in the slot 6, the lever being pivotally connected by means of screWs 20 and 21 to the slidebar 12, and the lever has nose portions 22 adapted to engage the plate 5 When the slidebar is partially projected, so that leverage action shall occur after partial projection of the guillotine blade.

For the purpose of the present invention a slightly elastic seat member 23 is provided Which is composed of hard material, ,preferably steel, and it s suitably curved and arranged in the loop 10 and retained in the channel 11, and it has side members Or limbs 24 and 25 that are arranged in the channel 11 in the guides 8 and 9 andretained in the channel by the blade 13. The side members Or limbs are suitably anchored in the guides 8 and 9, being preferably provided With lugs 26 and 27 respectively that are inserte-d in suitable Openings in the guides, to enable the seat member Or loop 23 to conform to and resist the blade 18 and not permit the seat member to be forced to the bott-om of the channel or groove 11, so that the loop 10 performs the function of a guide and guard for the seat member,

In practical use the instrument is manipulll) lated practically as hitherto, the tonSil being received through the opening between the flexible seat member 23 and the end of the plate 7, after Which the operator While holding the handle 1 applies his thumb to the lever 18 and then pushes forward so as to advance the blade 13 until considerable resistance occurs, the nose portion 22 having advanced So as to be turned up against the end of 'the pl ate 5 by pressing downward on the lever 185 enabling the operator to apply greater force to 'further advance the blade until the tonsil iS Sever-ed by the edge 14 of the blade coming intimately into Con tact With all portions of the seat member 23, the force applied 'causing Slight change o i' contour of the seat member if needed to insure continuously precise contact of the edge of the blade With all portions of the seat face', thus i nsuring complete severance of the ton'sil and eliminating necessity for sub Sequent cutting to complete the severance.

lVhat is 'claimed as new is:

1. A tonsil guillotine having a curved and flexible loop, a curved guard and guides for holding the loop pe'rmi'tting flexibility of the loop, and a blade to operate in the guides and in connection With the flexible loop.

2. A tonsil 'guillotine having two oppoSite guides, a blade movably arranged in the guides, to be advanced beyond them, and a flexible seat member arranged opposite to the end of the blade to co-operate there- With and being anchored to the guides, the end of the blade being curved conveXly and the seat member curved approximately to the curvature of the blade.

3. A tonSil guillotine having two opposite guides and a 'guard connected to the guidcs, the guard having a channel therein, a flexible seat member arranged in the channel in the guard free from the bottom of the channel and having limbs connected to the guides and se'curing the seat member in place; and a blade arran-ged in the guides to be moved into (Jo-operation Withthe seat member.

4. In a tonsil guillotine, the coi nbihation, With a 'rame and opposite gudes thereon, and a guillotine bl'ade arranged in the guide's and projectable beyond the end of the frame, of a curved channel'ed gu ard rigi'dl'y connected With the guides and disposed oppoite to the edge of Said blade, and a Curved seat member arranged in the guard and provided With limbs having lugs connected to Said guides respectively to hold the seat member in place to directly oppose Said blade independently of the gua'rd.

In testimony WhereOf, I aIiX my Signature on the Sth day oI" February, 1926.

CHARLES R. STORZ. 

